English
margaritomancy
Margaritomancy comes from Latin margarita ‘pearl’, and goes back to Ancient Greek μαργᾰρῑ́της.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμαργᾰρῑ́τηςmargărī́tēs‘pearl’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmargarita‘pearl’
- Englishearliest quotation 1920margaritomancy
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEμαργᾰρῑ́τηςmargărī́tēs‘pearl’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEmargarita‘pearl’
- Englishearliest quotation 1920margaritomancy
Earliest quotation: 1920, L. Spence: “Margaritomancy: Divination by pearls. A pearl was covered with…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-Iranian *mr̥gás ‘a forest animal’
through Latin margarita ‘pearl’
Today it means
noun Divination by pearls.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek μαργᾰρῑ́της / margaritomancy